Down the Road
by Bay Alexison
Summary: Ling, Lan Fan, and May took the long road back to Xing by passing through Aerugo and crossing the ocean, carrying Fu's deceased body with them.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** For LJ community's fmabigbang in 2010-2011. This story has ten chapters, so I'll be posting a chapter every Friday.

**Chapter One: Before the Trip**

_Death is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me, you know. Because in that other room I shall be able to see._

_-Helen Keller_

All was quiet at the Yao place. There was a full moon that night, so it was quite dark outside. No candles were lit, save for a single room in one of the buildings

Lan Fan was reading some accounts of the guards that had served under the Yao clan over the past several generations. It fascinated her to learn how her ancestors risked their lives to protect whomever ruled the clan during that time, some fights more gruesome than others. The sound of the door sliding open startled her, causing her chest to rise in fright.

"Reading those accounts again, I see," Fu said with a chuckle.

Lan Fan smiled. "Yes. I love reading what happened with our ancestors. It was as if I was right at the middle of the fight and experienced it myself."

"Indeed." Fu grinned. "That happened to me too, when I was young. Your mother was the same way."

The young woman felt as if someone sliced her back. Her mother, Fu's daughter, had been a guard of the current leader of the clan. Lan Fan and her mother weren't the first lady guards, but Fu had taken pride in teaching his daughter and granddaughter martial arts as well as the clan's history. At the age of five, Lan Fan's mother had died during an invasion meant to stop a future rebellion. Lan Fan cried when she had heard the news while her grandfather tried to comfort her.

Knowing what he had said caused his granddaughter to turn pale, Fu gulped. "My apologizes, Granddaughter."

"No, it's all right," Lan Fan said, smiling back. "I'm glad my mother died a hero."

The old man nodded in understanding. The two fell silent, gazing out the window, using the quiet moment to enjoy the scenery. The palace garden wasn't very far from where they were standing, the pond and the many flowers on the bushes appearing radiant in the diminished moonlight. Not long after, Lan Fan spoke.

"Grandfather, if you were to choose how you would die, how would it be? Dramatic or peaceful?"

He laughed. "I actually would like my death to be as exciting as possible. I would go against an enemy like no other, and the two of us would go down to hell together."

"So you don't mind if your death leads to that path?" the granddaughter said with a giggle.

Fu shrugged. "No one should be afraid of death. In the end, it's nothing more than passing through rooms, just like the ones in this palace."

Death just like passing through different rooms? Lan Fan raised an eyebrow at the thought, but let it slide. Maybe she would understand better when she got older.

"Well, I guess we should get to sleep now. Tomorrow is another big day for us."

"Right."

The both of them were already dressed in their sleeping clothes, so they walked over to their beds and laid down. After Lan Fan blew out the candles, the two went to sleep.

When the Promised Day passed, Central lay in ruins. There were so many injured that the many tents were quickly filled to capacity. Rubble was strewn everywhere, concealing the numerous bodies that still needed to be found and smoke still billowed from the destroyed buildings

Two military men carried the stretcher that held Fu's body, Ling, Lan Fan, May and Shao May following behind. Lan Fan's automail arm was in a cast, and Ling was helping May to walk, her leg too badly injured to support her. As soon as they made it to a wagon, the two men put Fu inside. Earlier, Ling suggested they go to Aerugo and continue to Xing by sea. The trip would be longer than crossing the great desert, but Fu's body would decay too quickly under the heat and the camels wouldn't be able to carry him for long. There was always a military car or wagon, but the large amount of sand in the desert would make the trip quite hard. Another reason was Lan Fan's automail arm wouldn't be able to handle the heat very well.

The trip was planned, but Ling needed a couple people to help him carry Fu's body to the nearest wagon or car. Lan Fan couldn't do it because of her automail arm, and May was too small to hold the stretcher. The prince left them for a bit and quickly found two low ranking soldiers willing to lend a hand.

"Thanks for helping us out," Ling said to both of the men.

"No problem. You guys need to go back home, it's the least we can do," one of the military man said with a grin.

Both men waved to the group before they left them alone. May and Shao May had their heads down while Lan Fan and Ling stared at their surroundings.

The guard couldn't help but tremble inside. The Promised Day had taken so many lives, including her grandfather. There were still several stretchers holding the deceased that needed to be carried away to their relatives and loved ones. Lan Fan could only hope Central would be rebuilt and the people would get back with their lives as soon as possible. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a female voice.

"So, that is the man that who died with my captain, huh?"

The four turned and gasped when they saw two people looking at them. One was a woman who also had a cast on her arm, and another was a muscular man with cuts and bruises on his chest and face.

"Are you…the Armstrongs?" Ling stuttered.

Olivier nodded. "I'm General Olivier Armstrong and this is my brother, Major Alex Louis Armstrong. We're here to take Captain Buccaneer's body back to Briggs for a proper burial."

The female officer pointed toward the two men carrying a stretcher. Lan Fan shivered; seeing Buccaneer's body again gave her the chills. That was the man that had gone down to hell with her grandfather. She then gazed at the general, who was looking at Fu's body in the wagon. The female guard could tell by the woman's facial expression that she felt deeply sorry for her grandfather's lost.

After a long silence, Ling chuckled. "Funny you should say that as I'm going to bury Fu's body back at Xin—"

Before the prince could finish, the major hugged him tightly, fat tears streaming down on his cheeks. Unfortunately, the tight embrace caused the prince to let go of May, the little girl falling onto the ground and yelling in pain. Lan Fan gasped and ran to help May get up, using her good arm.

"It's so beautiful that you care for your guard as if he's your father! Nothing is more caring than burying your loved ones in their homeland!"

"Ahem."

Major Armstrong blinked as he saw his sister glaring at him and gave a sheepish laugh, letting Ling go. Glad to not be crushed to death, the Xingese man coughed and gasped for breath.

"We're going to Aerugo first so that we can find a boat and return to Xing by sea. The journey shouldn't take us more than two months," Lan Fan added.

Usually Olivier wasn't the kind of woman to show emotions, but her eyes went wide. "Two months? That's quite a long trip, especially with you three being so young. Are you sure you all can make it there alive without adult supervision?"

All three immediately grinned.

"Of course. We have already done it before, so we'll be able to do it again," May said. Shao May nodded.

"Carrying Fu's body may slow us down and be a great task for us, but it'll be worth it," Ling added.

Olivier nodded in understanding. "Good to hear that. Before I go, though, I would like to make one suggestion."

A confused expression covered Ling's face. "Sure."

"Take the military train to South City as that city is closest to the Aerugo border. It shouldn't take you more than two and a half days. Be careful though; there are still active mines out there."

May beamed with confidence. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. I'll be able to find them with my alkehstry."

The general smiled slightly, thought May saying that was kind of cute. However, her expression changed immediately to a stern one when she looked at her brother.

"You'll be able to arrange a train for them to take to South City, right?"

The Strong-Arm Alchemist nodded. "Yes, I can. Give me a couple hours."

"Good."Oliver turned back to face Lan Fan, Ling, and May. "Well, my brother and I wish you a safe journey on your trip. Also, when you get there, tell the old man that I said thanks for helping my captain deal with King Bradley."

"Thanks you two," he said with a bow. "I'll let him know when we bury him. I also wish you luck on your trip back to Briggs, General Armstrong."

The general smiled once more then, she and her brother left to follow the men carrying Captain Buccaneer. Ling turned to face Lan Fan and May.

"All right, we'll go to the station then, but a few things first. Lan Fan, hurry up and grab your things from your hiding place." Ling then gazed at May intently. "You need to show me where you have been staying so that I can get your things."

"All right," May said while nodding.

Lan Fan nodded too. "Yes, Master Ling."

Ling helped May up once more. The princess did not protest, so they hobbled to the wagon where Fu's body was laid. Lan Fan was left alone, but she didn't hesitate leaving quickly to get her things.

Lan Fan's automail mechanic, Will, lived in a two story house a couple blocks away from downtown Central. In the neighborhood, all the homes almost looked the same, each one being brick buildings or painted light green. There was one distinguishable feature that the guard could tell her mechanic's house apart from the others, though; the man never tended the roses he had planted very well. After giving a dirty look at the dried up roses, Lan Fan approached Will's house and knocked on the door.

"Okay, coming, coming!" someone inside yelled. The door opened and a man dressed in a jumpsuit stood there, his eyes open wide in surprise. "Oh, Lan Fan. I didn't expect you or your grandfather to come back."

Lan Fan closed her eyes and sighed. Last night Will got angry when she and Fu left to help Edward and the others outside of the city. The young woman assumed Will thought the two wouldn't come back.

"Sorry about that, sir. My grandfather and I sensed trouble not far from Central, so we had to leave."

The mechanic struck Lan Fan with a puzzled look. "Let me guess, it had something to do with what happened today?"

The guard nodded, not saying anything. Everyone, including Will, now knew about the Promised Day, so there was no need for explanation.

"Well, you guys gotta do what you gotta do, I suppose," Will said, shrugging. "You two could have been killed, though. Speaking of which, where is your grandfather?"

A silent gulp escaped Lan Fan's throat. How would the man react if she told him her grandfather died? Outrage, most likely. The only thing to do was to lie.

"He's waiting for me at downtown. We actually need to go back to Xing because something came up."

Nodding in understanding, Will smiled. "If you two must leave now, there's no stopping you. Okay then, go grab your things."

"Thank you," Lan Fan said with a bow. Will stepped aside to let her go upstairs to her room.

The room wasn't much, just a couple beds and a desk. Quickly, Lan Fan went to the desk and clenched her grandfather's pouch; it was still warm. The young guard decided to take a look inside it. As expected, inside there were mostly just flashes, grenades, and kunai. However, one particular item caused her to gasp.

_A journal?_

She never knew her grandfather had saved a journal. Usually, guards would be busy protecting their higher-ups, so there was barely any time to write in a journal. Excited and curious at the same time, Lan Fan began reading. The writing was in Dongese, one of the simpler Xingese languages.

_I suppose the reason for this journal is to write down some adventures I have had. Most of the entries might be about me saving Master Ling's butt, but that's okay as I'll get laughs from those memories. _

_I'm neither a writer nor a scholar, just a guardsman that knows martial arts. I know the Amestrisan language and basic writing and math, but that is about it. I was more focused on saving lives. This journal is to look back at the past and remember the most important things that happened in my life._

Another thought startled Lan Fan—should she continue reading? There was the risk of finding some more personal stuff. Still, the young girl wanted to know more about her grandfather and how he felt during the events he had written about.

Remembering she needed to meet with Ling and May soon, Lan Fan put the journal in her bag and went to gather their clothes. She would read more of her grandfather's journal when she got to South City.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's notes: **animelover199514, good question. How Fu's body will be preserved will be explained close to the ending of the story. Most of the story will be taking place in Aerugo and the trip through the country won't take more than a couple weeks. When they get to the sea, though, that's when the explanation of Fu's body will come to play.

Oh, and for those that read my Roy/Riza story _Not Enough Time _before reading this, no more story alerts, please. ^^; That story is meant to be a one shot, so I'm not continuing it. I might do a few stories that take place after NET, though, so we'll see.

Okay, sorry folks for not posting this on Friday like I said I would. Yesterday I had a really bad day. Chapter Three I should be able to post next Friday, though!

**Chapter Two: Meeting with May**

Like most buildings in Central, the train station was also deserted due to services being delayed. The place wouldn't be open to the public for a while until everything was settled, so only military trains would run for now.

Ling, May, Shao May, and Lan Fan were sitting on the same bench. The girls sat up straight, but the prince faced the ceiling and spread his arms wide, boredom glazing his eyes. They were supposed to wait for three military personnel to bring Fu's body to one of the carts, but there was no sight of them yet. Ling groaned in annoyance.

"Patience, my lord. They shall be here soon."

"Well, they better," Ling demanded, sitting upright now and crossing his arms. "The sooner we get out of here, the—"

He stopped when he finally saw the soldiers they had been waiting for, two men and one woman, already laying Fu's body inside a green cargo car; the door was still open. All Ling could hear was the hammering of his heart and his mind repeating _we're actually doing this, we're actually doing this, we're actually doing this _over and over like a merry go round. A pat on his shoulder, though, shook him out of his anxiety and snatched him back to reality. The male solider that had touched Ling offered him a smile.

"Sorry if the ride won't be comfortable as this train's usually used for transporting military supplies," the military officer said, as he dropped his hand from Ling's shoulder.

"It's all right. As long as we're able to get to the border of Aerugo quickly, it's fine," Ling said with reassurance.

All three military officers gave the group a salute then departed, leaving the group alone beside the cart. The prince stared at the train for some time.

_Looks like we're finally going back home now…_

It was a weird feeling. Ling longed to go back to Xing, but also wanted to stay in Amestris longer. There were still many sights and sounds he wanted to experience. The country still had so much to offer him, but circumstances wouldn't allow him to indulge his whims of fancy.

"Ling, are you all right?"

The prince let out a "huh?" and looked down at May to find the little girl looking back at him with concern.

"Oh, sorry. It's just that there are a lot of things going on in my mind."

Lan Fan smiled. "I'm sure we'll be able to make it back home safely."

The prince grinned. One characteristic he liked about Lan Fan was she always seemed to make him feel better with her reassuring words.

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, let's go."

"Yay!" May cheered, her fists up in the air. She then looked at her panda, the girl's eyes sparkling with delight. "You hear that, Shao May? We're going back to Xing!"

Lan Fan giggled while Ling smiled. At that precise moment, he realized something which caused him to frown.

_She's my half-sister._

He felt guilty for never having been there for her. The prince was sure she was two or three years younger than him, but she was so small. She had gone through many things in Amestris, just like him.

_Perhaps we'll be able to catch up during the trip._

The only problem was, how would their conversations go? He feared she might still hold a grudge against him; she, too, wanted immortality and he had taken it away from her. The only reason she was traveling with him and Lan Fan was that she had no choice.

He dropped out of his musings to find that Lan Fan, May, and Shao May were already inside the passenger's car. Ling could tell by their baffled expressions that they were impatiently waiting for him. Finally having the courage to say goodbye to Central, Ling put on a bright smile and went inside.

**xxx**

Two days had passed since they had departed from Central. The trip was taking much longer than they originally thought due to the many stops along the way, but this mode of transportation was still much better than traveling by wagon. All of the stations their ride stopped at were still open, and the trains were stopping for passengers.

Late on the night of the first day of their journey, Lan Fan watched May and Ling with surreptitious glances. The two were sitting opposite one another, and hadn't spoken directly to each other all day. She found this odd.

_He needs to talk to his sister. _

"My lord, I need to speak with you in private," she whispered.

Ling looked up at her with a dazed, confused expression on his face, but followed Lan Fan to the corner without complaint. May was too busy talking to her panda about what they would do once they got back to Xing to notice the prince and his guard had moved away.

"What is it, Lan Fan?"

"I think you should talk to your sister and get to know her better."

The prince sighed and lowered his head. "I know, but not sure how well it will go. I mean, she's the first sibling I'll be with for more than a month and I'm afraid she won't like me."

"Well you won't know unless you try, right?"

Lan Fan smiled playfully at Ling. Due to the seriousness of her job, the young guard hadn't smiled like this in quite some time, but she could tell by the look in her master's eyes that he was still unsure and wanted to offer him some support. It didn't take long though, until Ling beamed back.

"All right, I'll try to talk with her."

Ling rose and crossed back over to May to tap her on the shoulder. At first, the young girl cringed and threw him a frightened look, then smiled up at the young prince and the two began to talk. Lan Fan gave a mental blissful sigh to herself, and a warm feeling settled inside her at seeing the two acting comfortable around one another.

In the evening of the second day, Lan Fan was in the cargo car, gazing at her grandfather's body, which was wrapped in cloth. She had been in the passenger car with May and Ling earlier, the siblings talking about their experiences during the Promised Day. Lan Fan didn't pay attention to the conversation, her mind thinking about Fu. She excused herself and went to sit with her grandfather's body.

The young woman thought about what would happen if Fu were still alive. Would they be taking this path back home or cross the desert? The answer was obvious to her.

_We would be going by sea._

There would be no rush getting back home, and the sandstorms in the desert usually picked up during this time of year. However, Fu needed to be buried as soon as possible because his body would decompose much quicker in the heat.

Lan Fan then remembered the journal. She wanted to read it ever since they had embarked on their journey home, but the lighting had been poor and because Ling and May usually stayed up late. The girl was patient though, so she could wait. This was the hardest time she had to restrain herself.

**xxx**

The next night they made it to South City. This station was still open to the public, just as the others their train had stopped at. While a few people got off the train, here there hadn't been many; clearly South City wasn't a tourist attraction. There were a couple military men waiting for them, so as soon as Ling, Lan Fan, May, and her panda got off, the people waiting for them had put Fu's body in a horse-drawn wagon.

"Okay, this is the only one we have available at the moment," one of the military men said. "From here on out, you guys have to cross the border on your own. You could have gotten to Aerugo's sea port faster if you were able to take another train ride, but that country stopped accepting trains from Amestris long ago."

"It's all right, we'll be fine," Ling said, nodding in understanding. "Thanks for the help, though."

"No problem," the other military man said.

After the group bowed to the soldiers, the two men gave a salute and left. May looked at Lan Fan and Ling with uncertainty.

"Should we camp outside of this city or find an inn to stay for the night?"

Ling stroked his chin. Camping would be much cheaper and he hadn't brought much money with him from Xing. Outside was pitch black, though, making it almost impossible to find a place to sleep. It wouldn't hurt spending a few cenz for the night. He glanced at Lan Fan, and the woman nodded; Ling knew what she was thinking.

"We'll try to find an inn first. There should be one somewhere."

Everyone hopped onto the wagon and Ling took the reins. He shook them, and the horse started slowly.

The more they traveled through South City, the more Ling thought the place was a huge military base of sorts. There were only a few shops and restaurants around, and all of them closed for the night. Military cars and tanks were scattered everywhere. Many soldiers were outside talking to one another, but a few of the men were staring at the group. Ling had a hunch they were wondering why three very young foreigners and a panda were visiting the city.

"So many soldiers. Quite a few of them know alchemy," May said, arm shaking when she felt their "chi" flow inside her.

Ling shuddered at that thought. He too could sense their chi and noticed some of the men's energies were stronger than others.

_So much destruction because of this country's alchemy…_

"It's because South City is not far from the border of Aerugo. I remember back at Rush Valley, Edward told me how Amestris has borderline conflicts with that country."

"Do you think the two countries are still battling now, even though the Promised Day is over?" Lan Fan asked.

"I think it's too early to say, but the two countries might come to some sort of agreement over the violence. King Bradley is gone, so alchemy won't be used in the military as much."

They continued to search for an inn, but had no luck due to most of the lodgings were reserved for the military. There was a defeated look on Ling's face.

"Looks like we won't be able to find a place tonight. We should probably set up camp outside of the city."

"Well, there's gotta be an inn where we can rest until morning," May said, eyes wide in anxiety.

Shao May almost dozed off, wanting some sleep too. However, as soon as the panda turned around, she squeaked in joy and tugged one of May's braids.

"Shao May, what is it?"

The girl turned around and instantaneously she, too,cheered. Across from the gang, there was a wooden building with the sign "Sunny Grove Inn." Lan Fan sighed in relief while Ling grinned.

"Hopefully that place has comfy beds in there."

"But that means the place could be expensive!" the female guard said with narrowed eyes, clearly not liking the prospect of that thought. "You sure we have enough money?"

Not even giving himself a second to think about it, Ling smiled like someone who thought his plan wouldn't fail. He already said to himself he would pay whatever amount if he needed to.

"I think so. I don't know about you guys,"—he stopped to smell himself, but immediately he squinted his eyes in disgust—"but I could use a bath, actually."

Both Lan Fan and May nodded, the two also wanted to get cleaned up, too. With everyone agreeing to stay here for the night, they parked the wagon in a safe spot where no one would find the body, then went inside.

Thankfully the room was cheap, but as the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

The room was dusty and the tables were wobbly. There was lighting but it wasn't good and would make for sore eyes. As for the beds, they were as stiff as someone with a huge ego. May and Shao May had to toss and turn until they finally decided to sleep flat on their backs. At least the bathroom wasn't dirty and the water was warm.

"Oi, this inn doesn't have room service either," Ling complained with a heavy sigh.

"Well, what do you expect from a city that had been through so many skirmishes with another country?" Lan Fan pointed out. "Besides, we'll be traveling through Aerugo, so be content at least that you have a bed and warm place to stay for tonight."

Ling glared at Lan Fan. She wasn't fazed by her master's expression, knowing she indeed had to say that to calm him down.

"Fine, then," he grumbled. "I'll try to get some sleep now. Good night."

Ling turned away from Lan Fan and closed his eyes. The young woman smirked, glad she was able to stop her master from complaining more. She was about to sleep too, but stared at her grandfather's journal inside her pouch, which was resting on the table. Sleep would be good because she was tired, but the temptation to read the journal was getting to be too much for her. Already having made her decision, she took out the journal and read the next entry.

**xxx**

_November 21, 1913_

The Yao Clan was attacked by the other clans' assassins ever since the emperor came to power. Funny there was competition already for the future seat. Last night however was very strange.

Everyone at the palace was asleep, including my granddaughter and me. When we heard a noise, we woke up right away. The two of us went outside and saw a small girl and two other people running across one of the roofs. We immediately jumped up there and startled them.

"Oh, you two must be the prince's guards, huh?" the girl said with a smirk.

"I take it from your hair style and clothing that you're a princess?" my granddaughter remarked, her kunai already in hand. Indeed, her pink attire and hair stylized in many braids indicated she was a princess.

The girl nodded. "Yes. I came here to kill the prince myself."

Like a tiger, my granddaughter charged at the princess, but then one of the guards attacked her with a sword. Granddaughter blocked the assault with her kunai and the two exchanged blows for quite a while. The other guard went to throw many shuriken at me, but I blocked them with my knife. As soon as the princess jumped off the roof, her guards did too. We then followed them.

The three were pretty quick on their feet, knowing we were pursuing them. The princess then stopped with her back to us. Her guards jumped onto another roof, as if they knew what she was going to do. Thinking she was an easy target, we had our weapons ready and the two of us dashed at the princess. As we approached her, she turned around with a smug expression and we stopped. My granddaughter and I were at first confused why there were five kunai forming a circle. That was then I noticed an alkahestry symbol made out of dirt.

In swift motion, the girl bent down and touched her hands next to the alkahestry symbol. Blue light flashed and an explosion came. The two of us were able to leap backwards in the nick of time, though we still coughed as a bit of the smoke went into our lungs. As soon as the smoke cleared, the girl and her guards were gone. We hung our heads in frustration.

"That's Lady May Chang from the Chang clan," I said after we were silent for quite some time.

"How do you know?"

"Only a few of the emperor's children knows alkahestry and I heard she's the only daughter that can perform it."

"How can a weak clan have a princess that knows that?"

"Whether a clan is weak or not, we can't underestimate them. Life is full of surprises, sometimes."

It was hard for me to believe that girl was the prince's half sister. She was the first sibling to attempt the assassination, but she won't be the last.

**xxx**

Lan Fan chuckled. She, too, was amazed that this girl was Ling's half sister and was now traveling back to Xing with them. May had never returned to the palace to attempt the assassination a second time. It was a good thing that the Yao and Chang clan would make peace; Ling and May could use some time to catch up.

Something caught Lan Fan's attention, though. May had come to Amestris with only Shao May. Perhaps she and her panda ran away without letting the guards know? Then again, the guards would have found her by now. Lan Fan and her grandfather were able to find Ling easily…except for the time when they were at Rush Valley and it had happened to be Alphonse Elric that found the prince first. Lan Fan decided to ask May about that later.

The young woman felt her energy draining from her and she was no longer able to keep her eyes open. Maybe it was time for sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** Ack, so sorry guys for not updating this the last couple of weeks. Real life has been kicking my butt lately and I'm never good with updating my stories here, haha. I'll try to get myself to update this on Fridays again, but no guarantees. Someone hit me with a trout if I don't get Chapter Four updated in a couple of weeks.

Why no, chapter title not stolen from _All Quiet on the Western Fron_t. *whistles*

**Chapter Three:**

**All Quiet on the Southern Front**

The next morning the group woke up early and left the inn. Like last night, Ling took control of the wagon. There were many soldiers already outside and the prince couldn't help but listen to their conversations. He was curious how Central was doing at the moment, so eavesdropping would be one way to know.

"There are plans already underway at Central for the successor of Amestris."

"Yeah. Looks like Grumman from East City will be our new leader. I won't mind him."

"Well, whoever receives the title of Fuhrer, I hope that person will do something about our battle against Aerugo soon."

"Things have been quiet at the southern front ever since Fuhrer Bradley almost died in that train accident. However, Aerugo's king and their generals won't hesitate to use the Fuhrer's death to their advantage."

Ling sighed mournfully. Even after the Promised Day was over, Amestris still had conflicts with Aerugo and other countries. This was all Fuhrer Bradley's fault for having alchemists become tools for war. Thinking that made the prince's blood boil.

_Still so much unease in Amestris. Wonder when they will have peace._

xxx

Ling, Lan Fan, May, and her panda got out of the city safely and traveled down the road to Aerugo. For the first couple of hours, they were in an area made entirely of grassland. A cold breeze picked up and everyone's clothes billowed. The prince slightly shivered, but didn't bother to button his shirt.

When mid afternoon came, they decided to take a short break to eat lunch. Before the group left South City, May found a small restaurant where the group bought some noodles and bread to save for their dinner. The girls were eating silently while Ling was looking intently over the map one of the soldiers back at the train station had given him.

"We can make it to Aerugo by nightfall if we keep going. However, General Armstrong did say there are mines hidden at the borderline, so that might delay things."

"I think it would be best if we wait until tomorrow morning to cross the border as it'll be hard to get through the mines at night," Lan Fan suggested.

May nodded. "I agree. Even with my alkahestry, I won't be able to detect the mines very well in the dark."

"All right, we'll go a little farther, then set up camp before sunset."

With that settled, everyone continued eating. All was quiet save for the munching and the breeze, which had become slightly stronger.

As something crossed Lan Fan's mind, she stopped eating. She glanced back at the wagon and her mouth trembled as an ominous feeling swept through her whole body like a storm.

_This trip will be a long one and Grandfather's body will decay, eventually._

This was the first time she was worried about her grandfather smelling badly. She, May, and Ling would most likely get in trouble for carrying a corpse across borders. Part of her thought that maybe they should have buried Fu back at Central so that he didn't have to go through the hardships of this trip, too. However, she was sticking to her word that she and Ling would bury him in Xing. Maybe later today, she would to stay close to her grandfather.

The flaps on the wagon seemed to separate her and her grandfather, making it feel like they were in different worlds.

xxx

After everyone finished lunch, it was back to traveling. Less than half an hour passed before Lan Fan turned to look back at the cloth-covered body. When Ling saw that, he frowned. He had an idea what his guard longed for.

"Lady May, my lord, if you don't mind, I would like to look over my grandfather for a bit."

The two siblings looked at her and they smiled.

"Go ahead," Ling told her.

Lan Fan bowed in gratitude, said her thanks, and went inside the wagon. May glanced at the other side for a second and with thoughtful expression on her face.

"Did Lan Fan get along with her grandfather?"

Ling chuckled. He didn't expect May to ask that question, but he assumed she wanted to know more about him and his guards. It was cute, actually.

"They loved and respected each other very much. He raised her after Xue, Lan Fan's mother, passed away."

"How about her father?"

Ling was silent for sometime. Each time someone asked about Lan Fan's father, it pained him to answer that question.

"Her parents never married. Lan Fan's father left Xue after she became pregnant because he didn't want to have children. Lan Fan was actually glad Fu took care of her. She had a lot of fun with him, even if most of their time was spent protecting me."

"That's nice." Before May continued talking, she sighed in annoyance. "I actually wish my mother raised me like a daughter instead of just someone intended to become an empress. I mean, I want to become one, but my relationship with my mother isn't great."

"I'm actually envious of their relationship. My grandfather and mother were never there whenever I needed their emotional support. Instead, I rely on Fu and Lan Fan for that."

Ling gave a tiny smile. He always thought of Fu and Lan Fan as his father and sister. There was never a dull moment whenever he was with them. Now, he was talking to his half-sister, which was still taking some getting used to. This was the first time he had talked with a sibling for more than a day and found he enjoyed it.

"You know, we aren't so different after all, Brother," May said with a grin.

Ling beamed back. "No, not really."

The two fell quiet, enjoying the breeze. It wasn't long, though, until May thought of something.

"You told me that you three left Xing around the same time I did, though I took a different route. Can you tell me what happened during that trip?"

"Sure," Ling said, chuckling. He didn't mind at all, and talking with his sister was a nice way to pass the time.

xxx

Lan Fan overheard their conversation.

She was still somewhat upset she never knew her father but was happy her grandfather had raised her. Without him, she wouldn't have matured into a better person. The young woman gave a satisfied smile, also happy Ling and May were getting along.

The girl then glanced at her grandfather's body. She actually felt good staying by Fu's side. It didn't matter that he had died; as long as he was going back home with her and Ling, it was fine.

"Just hang in there," she whispered.

She sat, looking at the cloth covering her grandfather for sometime, then stared over at the sack containing his journal. Lan Fan hadn't read much of it last night because of her exhaustion, but decided to take this opportunity to do so now, before Ling stopped to rest.

xxx

May 20th, 1914

Master Ling wouldn't stop asking if we're at the Xeres ruins yet. I told him we're almost there and to be patient. He then complained how hot the Great Desert was and would like a nice bath if there was water somewhere. It took every ounce of me to not hit him with the hilt of my kunai.

When we finally made it to the Xeres ruins, the site took our breaths away. It was like stepping back into history. Sure, there was rumble everywhere, but we could still tell Xerxes was a huge and influential city. The three of us took a quick tour of the place and entered many buildings, like the library and school. We also went inside some of the dwellings, which was simply fascinating. When we came to a fountain though, Master Ling immediately dived into the water, creating a small cloud of steam. My granddaughter and I shook our heads in disbelief. As soon as the prince dried himself off, we continued walking through the ruins. It didn't take long until we found something the prince was looking for.

Inside what was left of the courtyard, there was a huge wall with a human transmutation circle inscribed upon it, or so the young lord told me. During one of his lessons, he learned that the people from Amestris would use it to bring people back from the dead, which was forbidden. There were two symbols, one which was a two headed dragon and the other a sun. When I glanced at the prince, I saw disappointment on his face.

"There are supposed to be more symbols here. The top portion is missing. I can't remember what the others were, though."

I joked how maybe the Western Sage had taken it with him, which made both the young master and my granddaughter laugh. It still disturbed me, though, that the Amestrians would do something insane like human transmutation. If the legend of Xerxes was true, maybe that was how the city met its demise.

The three of us stared at the human transmutation circle, unaware someone was behind us the whole time. That person almost hit me with a stick, but I immediately used my kunai to cut it in half. He backed away, avoiding my next swipe at him, and glared at me. The young lord and my granddaughter had their weapons ready in case he might attack again. Not minding it was three against one, the man clenched his fist. Everything came to a halt, though, when a female voice called out not too far from the four of us.

"Alsike, don't!"

Both us and the man turned around and saw an elder woman, who came out from hiding. Then a crowd of people followed her. She seemed to have an air of authority about her. Alsike bowed.

"Sorry, Madam Shan, sorry but it seems they're intruders."

The woman glared at Alsike with a cocked eyebrow, but immediately up to us. She was eyening us like an assassin.

"You three aren't from Amestris, correct?"

We all shook our heads, and then I spoke. "No, Lady Shan. We come from Xing."

Lady Shane had a surprised look on her face. "Xing? Isn't that from the east?"

The three of us nodded and Lady Shan's expression changed to annoyance.

"Hm, we Ishvalans have nothing to do with Xing people."

I saw Ling's eyes fill with shock. It took him a while to finally speak. "Wait, Ishvalans? I thought you people had been exterminated, or so I heard."

I urgently whispered "Master" to Ling, hoping he wouldn't go any further than that. The old woman didn't take offense though, sighing heavily.

"Too much blood covered our holy land but many of us were lucky to get away and stay safe, at least for the time being. I actually thanked Ishvala, though, for sending a doctor couple from Amestris to save my life and countless others."

The old woman pointed to her eyepatch, indicating she once had a serious eye injury. I felt something sickening rise inside my stomach when I thought Lady Shan might remove her eyepatch. Luckily, she didn't.

"You all look worn out. Come, have something to eat with us," she said without a smile. Apparently she was suspicious of us, but at the same time didn't want to be rude.

During lunch we ate meat and drank water. I felt refreshed since Master Ling, Granddaughter, and I hadn't eaten or drink much. Lady Shan was still apprehensive about us, her stare looking as if we had done something not to her standards.

"Why are you all here?" the woman asked in a harsh tone.

"I'll put it short and simple. I came here for immortality. I want to gain power to help my people," the prince explained. I was surprised he didn't stutter while talking.

The lady glared at him. She seemed to be the person not taking this "immortality" talk lightly. I could sense she was trying to contain her anger.

"What makes you think these ruins have what you need?"

"There's an old legend of a man that came from these ruins and taught our people rentanjitsu, or alchemy, as most people at Amestris called it. We call him the Western Sage."

"Really?" Lady Shan laughed in a rude manner. "Alchemy was what destroyed Xerxes in the first place. Alchemy is also what destroyed Ishval."

"Well, we use it to heal our people, not to harm them. I want to know more about Amestris' alchemy to help my people. Clearly, you don't think everyone in Amstris is evil, do you? Some might use it to help others, also."

Lady Shan shook her head, the irritated look never leaving her face. "No. Like I said, the doctor couple came from Amestris. However, they didn't need alchemy to heal the people. They did it with their own hands."

I could hear the young lord groaning to himself in frustration. He was losing the battle at this moment.

"I can see you care for your people, Ling, but power can distract someone away from their true purpose for using it. I suggest going back to your country instead of entering Amestris. It seems the fluids you took for this trip has been wasted."

Wasted fluids wasn't something my young lord wanted to hear. He groaned again and clenched his fist, but took deep breaths to calm himself.

"Perhaps it's best we leave now," I whispered to him. Granddaughter nodded in agreement.

There was nothing Master Ling could do to change Lady Shan's mind, so he stood and bowed to the woman. He never liked being defeated. My granddaughter and I stood, too.

"I want to thank you for giving us food and drink. Sorry if we wasted your time. We'll still go to Amestris to seek what we're looking for, and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

The elder leader just stayed silent. I could tell in her eyes she thought the prince was foolish to keep going on with his search for immortality.

We left the Xerxes ruins, hoping we indeed could find something in Amestris.

xxx

"…And after I told Madam Shan that, we left Xerxes and headed for Amestris. It took us three more days until we arrived there, though."

The princess was silent for a while, thinking over what Ling had told her. She was fascinated by his description of Xerxes as she had never seen a ruined city before. The most shocking part was Madam Shan. The way he spoke of how much she disliked what Ling and his guards were searching for made her feel uneasy. May felt the elder lady hated her already for using alkahestry and wanting to gain immortality.

"I see. She's really against alkahestry, huh?"

"Yeah. Her people believe alkahestry, alchemy, or anything of that sort are against God's will."

May pondered over this for a minute. She assumed the Ishvalans had decided any sort of "alchemy" was forbidden ever since the start of their culture. Part of her wanted to say alkahestry and alchemy could also be used to help people. However, she had learned that she must respect other people's beliefs.

"Well, I hope they're doing okay, even if they didn't give all of us a nice welcome."

"I'm fine with them not treating us like guests. At least we got to visit Xerxes for a bit. To think, it was Edward's father who was the Sage of the West and originally from that place."

"Hey, don't forget he's Al's father, too!"

Ling laughed and patted May's head. "You're right, he's also Al's father."

The half-siblings laughed together while the sun began to set. Inside the tent, Lan Fan concealed a tiny smile.

xxx

That night, Ling and the others had set up camp. After they ate dinner, they went to sleep. The next morning, everyone woke up early and set out on their journey again. At first, there were still nothing but grasslands, but not long after they entered a forest.

For an hour, the group enjoyed the changing scenery. There were a lot of trees, but not as much as the forest next to Central that Ling, Lan Fan, and Fu had visited. Occasionally, a bird or a squirrel would pass by. Many flowers bloomed on the grassy ground, filling the air with a fragrant scent. The sun peeked out and Ling thought the surroundings had a stage-like feel to it.

When they made it out of the forest, the stage had switched to a new set and terrified expressions shot across everyone's face.

There was nothing but dirt at the borderline, foxholes scattered everywhere. One could smell the stench of dead bodies, despite the fact they could see no corpses lying about.

"So this is how war is fought in Amestris," Lan Fan said in remorse.

"I hope the new higher ups in Central will work something out concerning Amestris' war with Aerugo," Ling said, agreeing with what one of the soldiers at South City had said earlier. He then turned to May. "You should get started on deactivating the mines."

The little girl nodded and got out of the wagon. She used a stick to make a quick alkhestry symbol and threw five kunai on it before finally slamming her hands onto the ground. A couple hundred feet from her, piles of dirt shot up like fireworks.

"That's the farthest my alkhestry can reach. We'll have to pause a few times while we're crossing this battlefield."

Ling nodded. He knew this would take time, but it had to be done.

An hour flew by and they made it to the middle of the battleground. After May did her alkhestry for the tenth time, she sat down and took deep breaths. Ling and Lan Fan gasped with worry.

"May, are you okay?" Ling asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just need to take a break, that's all."

"If you want, we can rest here for a little bit."

"It's okay," May said while giving Ling and Lan Fan the "okay" hand gesture. "We need to get through this place as soon as we can."

As if she had already regained her energy, the princess got back up and performed alkhestry once more. Each time she did it, Ling's heart seemed to clench in his chest.

_She's really trying to make our trip easier for us. _

He wanted to tell her to rest, but knew she would say no. She wanted to do this. All the prince could do now was watch as his sister continued to deactivate the mines.

Another hour passed before May finally finished her task. She sat down again, but her breathing sounded wheezy this time. Ling rushed out of the wagon and picked her up.

"You really need to rest now," he whispered.

May gave a weak smile. "Of course." She then dozed off to sleep.

Ling shook his head and sighed. He was glad his sister was able to get rid of all the mines, but it had worn her out.

"My lord, should we continue now?"

Ling turned to gaze at Lan Fan and nodded. "Yes, we should. You take control of the wagon while I watch over May, at least until she wakes up."

"Certainly."

A small smile lit the prince's face and he climbed onto the wagon with May in his arms. Lan Fan shook the reins and they were off again. It wasn't long until Ling looked back to see Amestris for the last time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Okay, soooooo sorry for not updating the story lately! I had been very busy with real life stuff and also am working on another story for FMA Big Bang that's held at livejournal. And oh, I actually needed to edit some parts of the story due to huge fail on some French dialogue here, oi. But yeah, hopefully, HOPEFULLY I'll remember to update this story now (I finished it and all, so might as well).

**Chapter Four**

**Ada of Rainington**

When the group crossed over into Aerugo, Ling quickly checked his map and found that the closest city to the border was Fotset. Like South City, it had become a semi-military base. Most of the buildings were reserved for the military due to the fact there were no tourists. The only difference was there were more men and tanks in the city. Also, like in South City, the soldiers were staring at them, watching them closely.

"The soldiers look more Amestrian than Aerugoian. Some of them are alchemists, too," Lan Fan pointed out with a puzzled tone. "Isn't this city in Aerugo?"

"Fotset is now technically Amestris' land from what Edward told me a while back. This is the city Amestris and Aerugo fought over because it's pretty much divided by the borderline between the two countries."

Ling went on to explain how the Amestris soldiers, some time ago had taken back a majority of Aerugo's land, but the Aerugoian soldiers were able to push them back to Fotset. Amestris pulled some of their State Alchemists out of Aerugo to help out with the Ishval Extermination, so the enemy had the advantage. The prince believed Aerugo would regain Fotset back after some new chairpeople were chosen to look over Central.

"I believe we should not stop at this city, my lord. There is nothing but distress here," Lan Fan whispered worriedly.

"I feel the same way. We'll just have to find another place to stop at."

Right after they left the city, there was nothing but flat land. Throughout the afternoon, there was no civilization to be found. Ling could see piles of dirt and fox holes scattered all over, just like the land he and the others crossed before making it to Aerugo. He sighed heavily.

"I'm sure we'll find a city where we can obtain food, eventually," Lan Fan reassured.

"No, I'm not hungry. I hope we can stop somewhere for a bit and wait until May wakes up." Ling shook his head. "This border war looks like it was far worse than I thought."

At that precise moment, Ling's stomach growled, causing him to laugh and rub the back of his neck in embarrassment. Lan Fan smiled.

"Maybe you should check the map again and see where our nearest destination is."

"Good idea."

The young man took out the map and skimmed it. His look changed from confusion to triumph.

"Right now we're riding on Ville Road, which is nothing much but flat land. However, there's actually a city nearby, Slatesworth Town. We should be getting close now."

**xxx**

Not long after Ling found Slatesworth Town on the map, they arrived in the city. It was a small place, but both the prince and his guard sighed in relief. There were shops made from stone close together and people walking about with smiles on their faces. Ling also saw many vendors parked in various areas of the town, most of the people either selling food or accessories.

"Finally, a place that looks peaceful!" Ling announced in a dramatic fashion.

Just then, May yawned and rubbed her eyes. When she saw where they were, she gasped and looked about their surroundings with bewilderment on her face.

"Where are we?"

"Slatesworth Town," Ling replied with a huge grin. "We'll going to find somewhere to get food after Lan Fan finds a spot to hide this wagon."

"Oh, great!" May cheered. "I actually woke up because I'm feeling hungry."

"Don't worry, we'll get some food soon."

Everyone was busy with various tasks, so they didn't pay attention to Lan Fan, Ling, May, and the wagon with Fu in it. The three parked the wagon in a nearby alley where no one would see it.

"May, you think you and your panda could stay here while Lan Fan and I get food? We need someone to guard Fu's body."

May and Shao May nodded. "Don't worry, you can count on us!"

"Good. Be careful."

Lan Fan and Ling waved goodbye to May and Shao May before they left them alone. The girl and her panda sighed, both of them glad to be taking a break now.

"Guarding Fu's body may not be thrilling, but at least we'll get to eat some food!"

Shao May squeaked in agreement, causing May to giggle. The girl thought they would always be hungry at the same time. She then glanced at Fu's body and shivered. Each time she saw him, she thought his spirit went through her.

_Even after traveling with his corpse for the past few days, I still get a cold feeling looking at it._

May was distracted when she heard an old woman calling out for people to buy her flowers. A lopsided smile pulled at the princess' mouth as an idea came to her.

"Shao May, you think we should get those flowers for Fu?"

The panda nodded. The two hopped out of the wagon and went towards the woman.

"Here we have all kinds of flowers for any occasion, whether it's for a birthday, wedding, or…" She stopped and smiled when she saw May and Shao May. "Why hello there, Miss. What can I help you with?"

Already knew what she was going to say, May responded, "I would like two batches of flowers, please. It's for a friend's grave; he passed away recently."

The woman covered her mouth with her hand as it dropped open. "Oh, I see. All right then, that will be four hundred cenz."

May took out some of the coins from her pocket and handed them to the lady, who then bestowed her with the flowers.

"Thank you for the flowers," the princess said, bowing.

"You're welcome."

After May and Shao May got back on the wagon, the little girl began separating the flowers and scattered them over Fu. She stopped when she heard Ling and Lan Fan coming, the prince carrying a couple bags. May's panda sniffed the food and squealed.

"Oh, what do you guys have there?"

"Chicken and sandwiches. We'll save the chicken for dinner."

"Hooray!" May shouted in glee. Both she and Shao May threw their fists up in the air.

Ling and Lan Fan chuckled and climbed onto the wagon. The prince took the reins this time and was about to shake it until he wiggled his nose.

"Something smells fresh, like flowers."

"Oh, I bought flowers for Fu so that the smell won't be as bad."

"A smart idea, actually," Ling said. He touched May's shoulders and nodded in gratitude.

"Yes, it is. That way we won't need to about the smell for a while," Lan Fan commented also, a faint smile lacing her face.

May giggled, glad the two were fine with it.

When the group stopped to eat lunch, they discussed which seaport to go to. The closest one was Santa Rosa, a little off to the east of Aerugo. There weren't too many cities to stop by, but Ling was fine with it since they just needed to visit a few places to acquire food. Everyone decided Santa Rosa was the best place to catch a boat to Xing. Next stop would then be Camiburn, but they wouldn't make it to that city until nightfall.

Not far from Camiburn, there was Valjean Woods Ling and the others had to pass through. There were many trees although they were spread out and the ground was covered in grass, absent of any flowers. Ling didn't mind if this particular area was big because he knew he would be able to get out of the woods fine. He was more worried about the animals roaming here because he didn't want to cross paths with them.

During the trip, May talked about the time her mother scolded her for finding Shao May. It took a million pleas before her mother accepted a pet in the palace. Lan Fan giggled while Ling laughed and petted the tiny animal.

"She's a cutie, I have to say. You two do look like an unstoppable team."

Both May and Shao May grinned. "Thank you," the young girl said.

Ling chuckled. He enjoyed talking to his half-sister more than ever before. However, the young man frowned when he realized they wouldn't spend much time together after they made it to the palace. Sure, his clan would protect May's family, but he wasn't sure how often the two would visit one another.

"Something the matter, Ling?"

"I'm going to miss you after we bury Fu. I'm pretty sure you'll want to go back to your clan instead of coming with me and Lan Fan to the emperor's place."

"Actually, I'll come with you to see the emperor, since he's my father too," May said, beaming. Her expression changed immediately, though. "However, after that I'll go back to my clan. My family is worried about me," she muttered, lowering her head in an apologetic manner.

It was just as he thought. Ling felt as if someone tugged on his heartstrings. There was no way he could convince her to stay with him for a while. There were still many things he wanted to know about his sister.

He got distracted when he heard his horse squealing in fright. His sister held him tight while Lan Fan's eyes turned huge.

"What's wrong with the horse?" Lan Fan asked.

"I don't know," he said, looking confused.

The horse kept rearing. It was hard at first to see what was going on, but Ling then saw the source of the problem was. A dark gray wolf growled, teeth clenched and mouth dripping with salivia. Immediately, the creature bit the horse's right front leg, causing him to scream even louder and kick the wolf in the face. The horse kept thrashing until the wagon's wheels hit a boulder, causing everyone to crash onto the ground. The horse ran away, taking the wagon with him.

"Ow," Ling moaned. His head felt heavy, the pressure inside building up, but the prince rubbed it to sooth the pain.

He got up slowly, but felt his heart drum quickly when he saw May and Lan Fan sprawled on the ground. The prince dashed toward the two and shook them frantically in turn. It didn't take long until both of them got up and coughed.

"Are you two all right?" Ling asked.

"I'm okay," May said. She cuddled Shao May as the panda squeaked in alarm.

Lan Fan nodded slowly. "I'm fine, my lord. My automail arm is working too," she said while testing it out "Maybe some scratches, that is all."

"If you're hurt anywhere, I can heal you," May offered.

Lan Fan shook her head. "It's all right, thank you," she declined politely. "I'll most likely still need to see a mechanic, though."

"Indeed," Ling said, nodding. He helped Lan Fan get up. "We'll see if we can find one when we get to Camiburn."

Ling looked over Lan Fan's automail arm with concern. The prince wanted his guard to be checked out as soon as possible. His thoughts then turned to Fu.

_Where is his body?_

His own question was answered when he turned around and gasped at what he saw. Fu's body was on the ground, the cloth enclosing him covered in grass stains. Beneath the body were the smashed flowers.

"Oh no, the flowers!" May said in mourning, tears already running down on her cheeks. Lan Fan embraced her.

"It's okay, May. We'll get more flowers when we get to Cami…"

The prince stopped when he heard a growl. Everyone turned and saw the wolf getting up on shaky legs. Ling pulled his sword from his sash and dropped into a fighting stance; he wouldn't hesitate to kill the animal. The wolf roared and charged at Ling, and the prince tensed. He waited for the right moment to strike until he suddenly heard someone speaking in a language he couldn't understand.

"Dory, s'il te plaît, arrête!"

What happened next, Ling couldn't believe his eyes. The wolf leaped up, but an explosion of high-pressured water slammed into the creature, sending it into a tree. Lan Fan and May had alarmed expressions on their faces while the young man was left speechless.

_A water alchemist? _

Soaked to the skin, the wolf growled in annoyance then walked away from the group. Everyone sighed in relief, but immediately turned their heads as a horse neighed frantically nearby.

Ling, Lan Fan, May, and Shao May gasped when they saw a girl pulling her horse's reins. She climbed out of the cart and dusted her clothing. The vest over her blouse and the different colored skirt seemed to not be ideal for riding horses. The young man could tell from the look in her hazel eyes that she was surprised to see them.

"Allez-vous tous bien?"the girl asked timidly.

The prince couldn't help but blink; again he couldn't understand what she was saying. Apparently the girl was speaking Aeruogian. The only languages he knew were Xingese and some Amestrian.

The young lady giggled in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. You three don't look like you know Aeruogian. I asked if all of you are okay."

"Yeah, we're fine," May answered. "However, our horse ran away, thanks to that wolf biting it."

"Sorry to hear that. Wolves tend to roam this forest." She retied the ribbon in her brown hair as she spoke.

"I see," Ling said grimly.

Without a horse and cart, Ling realized that he, May, and Lan Fan had no way to get to Camiburn unless one of them went for help, but that would take a while. They could walk there, but there was one problem—Fu. Ling gazed at the body of his guard and felt as if someone had stabbed him in the stomach. They needed the wagon because of Fu. It would be improper to leave him lying there.

"Right now, our only source of transportation is gone and it seems it'll be a while if one of us goes to the closest town to fetch another cart or wagon. You see, we need to get to Santa Rosa's seaport so that we can bury our friend in Xing." He pointed towards Fu.

The girl lowered her head and stroked her chin in thought. It didn't take long until she smiled and snapped her fingers. "I have an idea. I'll let you guys stay at my place for the night, then I'll take you all to Santa Rosa."

Everyone's jaws dropped; this was unexpected. Besides the Elric brothers and their friends, no stranger had offered to help them. Ling was always grateful for the kindness of strangers.

"No, it's okay," Ling said, gesturing his hands to indicate she didn't need to do that. "We can go to Santa Rosa on our own."

"Really, I insist. Who knows when you'll find someone else help you with your fallen friend."

Ling sighed in defeat; he had no choice but to accept the offer. He could just go with her temporarily to get another wagon at the closest town, but wasn't sure if anyone would lend him one. It still felt uncomfortable for the young girl to transport a dead body.

"Are you sure?"

The girl nodded and smiled. "You don't want to leave that person lying here, right?"

Still not sure about having the girl go with them, Ling turned to May and Lan Fan. His guard nodded while his sister grinned. He soon felt a smile tug at his lips.

**xxx**

Lan Fan, May, Shao May, and Ling were in the driver's seat with the girl and Dory while Fu was on the cart with their possessions. Luckily, a red cloth covered Fu so that no passerby would see him. They were traveling through the woods and came upon a village, where they girl lived nearby.

"So, all of you are from Xing, including the person you need to bury soon?" the girl asked. "Curious, how do you know Amestrian? I know that language because my late mother originally came from Amestris."

"Indeed, all four of us came from Xing," Ling told her. "As for how we know the Amestrian language, we all learned it early in our lives."

The girl turned her head, her face showing keen interest. "Figures. I always wanted to visit there one day. Also, Amestrian seems to be the second universal language in this country, the first being Aerugoian." She was quiet for a while, but her expression changed to wonderment when she thought of something else. "Sorry to ask, but how did your friend die?"

"My grandfather died a few days ago during a battle at Central," Lan Fan answered this time, slowly and in a mournful tone. She didn't mind Ada asking about Fu's death, it was just that it wasn't easy for her to talk about it.

Ada gasped. "You mean the Promised Day? I heard rumors from different people about it. So is it true Fuhrer Bradley is dead?"

"It is," Ling said. "Now Central is holding talks to try and find a new leader."

"I see. I hope things go well for Amestris." As the girl finished, she gazed at Lan Fan with sad eyes. "Also, I am sorry about your grandfather."

Everyone became quiet. Lan Fan clenched a fist over her heart; the mention of the late Führer struck her hard. Memories of her grandfather being killed by him kept repeating in her mind.

"Hey, you never introduced yourself!" May said suddenly.

The girl giggled. "You're right. I'm Ada Gautier."

"Nice to meet you, Ada," Ling said while shaking her hand. "I'm Ling Yao and those two are Lan Fan, my guard, and May Chang, my half-sister."

Ada raised an eyebrow. "Guard? Are you of royalty or something?"

Ling rubbed his neck and laughed. "Actually, I am. I'm a prince of Xing and the twelfth son of the emperor."

"And my family has served under his clan for several generations," Lan Fan added. For some unknown reason, she always had to add that each time Ling talked about his title.

"Really? That's unexpected," Ada commented, chuckling. "Let me guess, running away from assassinations?"

The prince shook his head. "Not exactly. It's complicated."

While Ling was telling Ada about running away from Xing to find immortality, Lan Fan watched the sun set in the western sky and began thinking about the girl. Ada was nice, but there was something odd about her. She could feel large amounts of chi from her, much like the alchemists at Central, South City, and Fotset.

_Was she also capable of those kinds of techniques?_

The moment Ada used her water alchemy on the wolf flashed back to the guard. For some reason, Lan Fan was frightened by that thought. She hoped she wouldn't run into many alchemists, but now there was one helping her, Ling, May, and her grandfather to return home. Still, she wasn't sure how good Ada's alchemy was. The girl may be young, but after battling with Edward at Rush Valley almost a year ago, Lan Fan learned to not underestimate young people.

"Wow, quite interesting stuff," Ada said after Ling finished telling her everything. "You know Ling, you should meet with King Claudio. I bet the both of you will get along well."

The prince gave a short laugh. "It would be nice to visit him, but I'm afraid we don't have time for that. We must get back to Xing as soon as possible."

"Understandable. You can always visit him after you become emperor."

Waiting for the two to finish their conversation, Lan Fan spoke. "Ada, sorry to ask, but are you an alchemist?"

"Yes," Ada said, nodding. "My specialty is water." To prove it, the girl got out two gloves with water alchemy arrays, which looked very similar to a Yin-Yang symbol stitched on them, from the pockets of her vest.

Lan Fan gasped to herself. She was right about the girl being an alchemist, but then realized her being one didn't make her bad. Perhaps her overall uneasiness was due to what had happened during the Promised Day and didn't want May and Ling to get hurt.

"Really? That's great," May said, smiling.

Ling grinned. "Ha, thought so! You know, I've always been fascinated by people who can use alchemy. It must have been hard learning how to handle water."

"Thanks, and you're right. I have to find some source of liquid to perform it decently. For instance, I used the water from my canteen to save you from that wolf," Ada said while putting the gloves back into her pocket. "My father's a well known water alchemist in Aerugo, actually."

As it neared sunset, they made it to Rainington, Ada's home. It was mostly a collection of houses next to farmland, with friendly people who grinned and waved in greeting when they saw the group. Ada waved back.

"You know all these people?" May asked.

"Yep. It's a very small place, so everyone knows one another."

Lan Fan couldn't help but smile when she saw the farms. Many of the fruits and vegetables that grew were in perfect shape and ready to be picked soon.

"The people in this village very good care of the crops."

Ada smiled with pride. "Our village is known for growing tasty and healthy things. This part of Aerugo is where a lot of our agricultural alchemists stay at."

All of a sudden, Ada stopped Dory. Ling, Lan Fan, and May were at first confused, but they turned around and smiled. Alongside the trail, not far from them, was Ada's home. The girl guided the horse down the trail so that they headed toward the house.

**xxx**

"Father, father!"

The living room was warm, a cheery fire burning in the fireplace. Across from the fireplace, there were some sofas where everyone was sitting except for Ada. Between the sofas was a round table filled with books on water alchemy. Ling picked one up and began reading, but after skimming through the pages he closed it and put it back in its rightful place.

"You never even tried alkhestry, so it is highly unlikely you'll understand these books," Lan Fan whispered flatly.

"I know, but I'm curious about it. The only alchemy I have seen is from the Elrics and Roy Mustang."

Ling stopped talking when he saw an elderly man dressed in a suit come from another room. He stared at the group curiously.

"Ada, vous arrivez tôt." the man said with a smile. His eyes went wide when he saw Ling and the others. "Oh, who might these guests might be?" the man asked in Amestrian, grinning. He walked over to shake everyone's hands. "I'm Clement, Ada's father. We don't get guests here very often."

"They're Lan Fan, Ling, May, and Shao May," she said, pointing to them in turn. "They all came from Xing, but have been staying in Amestris for nearly a year." She paused, sighing. "Recently, they lost their horse due to a wolf. Now they are returning to their home country to bury their friend."

Clement gasped in shock. "Bury him back in Xing?" He faced Ling. "Couldn't you have buried him where he died, instead?"

Ling realized that it seemed crazy to others that they were returning home with a dead body. Remained determined to not let that dampen his spirits. He clenched his fist.

"Fu told me that he wanted to be buried in Xing if he were to die in Amestris. It was the country he was born in, and that is where he'll be buried. I told him I would. Not only that, it would be more honorable to bury him there due to the nature of his death. The people of Xing always keep their word."

The prince looked at everyone in the room. They all smiled, though Clement's smile was different. It was more of satisfaction.

"I like people when they keep their promises," Clement said, crossing his arms. He then looked at his daughter. "I assume they'll have to leave soon, correct?"

"Yes," Ada said, nodding. "However, I want to take them to Santa Rosa, if that's all right with you, Father. That's the least I could do for what just happened to them. You shouldn't worry as I went there a couple times before."

Clement's face was veiled with concern. "I know, but right now it's the rainy season and I don't think you're ready to handle that with your alchemy yet."

"I'll be careful," Ada insisted. "If it rains, we'll make sure to stay someplace warm and dry."

The father scratched his chin, still considering this. Ling saw the sad look on Ada's face. He could tell she really wanted to help him on this journey. It seemed like an eternity until Clement responded with a smile.

"All right, then. I want you and Dory to make sure they get there safely."

Ada sneaked in the biggest grin Ling had seen from her. "Don't worry, you can count on us!"

Ling chuckled and felt warm inside. Ada joining them wouldn't be a bad idea, now that he thought about it. It would be nice to have another traveling companion for a while. Maybe she could tell them more about Aerugo.

**xxx**

The chicken they had saved for their dinner had become soiled when the wagon had overturned, so Clement insisted on cooking a huge meal for everyone. The carrots, beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, and pork were delightful, especially for the prince.

"Wow, this tastes better than the food I ate at my palace," Ling complimented while eating the corn and pork.

"Don't worry. There's still plenty of food left, so enjoy as much as you like"

Everyone continued eating and there was no sound from anyone except for chewing and the clink of forks hitting plates. Ling thought about the girl as he ate; there was something on his mind about her. He cleared his throat.

"Ada, sorry to ask, but how old are you?"

There was a big grin on the girl's face. "Fifteen."

"Fifteen?" Lan Fan and Ling yelped in surprise; they couldn't believe she was the same age as themselves.

May glared at the prince and the guard. "Hey, I learned alkhestry earlier than that."

Clement laughed and patted Ada's shoulder. "She's a very fast learner. Her water alchemy has progressed well and she's been able to help out the village a lot."

"I have been practicing my alchemy by watering the different farms here."

Lan Fan finished drinking a glass of water and complimented, "No wonder the vegetables look so nice."

"Indeed," Clement said. "The people here take pride in the fact they can use alchemy for food and water. We don't need to concern over droughts as much as others might."

Everyone became silent again and once more Ling's mind wandered off. He wondered if alkhestry could be used for farming. As far as he knew, Xing people hadn't used it for any other purpose besides medicine.

**xxx**

Even though it was early at night, it was 'lights out' inside the house. The honorable guests, as Clemente liked to call them, would be sleeping in the living room for the night. Luckily he had extra pillows and blankets for the group to use. May, Shao May, and Ling were able to fall sleep quickly but Lan Fan wasn't able to get some shut eye as easily, so she decided to sneak outside and watch over her grandfather for a bit.

The first thought that came to the young woman's mind was that it was a relief his body wasn't damaged after falling to the ground. There was still some concern though, that Fu wouldn't make it in one piece because it would be another week until they make it to the seaport. Even then, traveling by boat wouldn't be one hundred percent safe, considering it could be raided or encounter a bad storm.

_Why am I thinking all this?_

Her hands trembled. This wasn't like her to be so worried. The last time she was this worried was when she had found out Ling had become Greed and the two had gone missing for some time.

"You're pretty."

Lan Fan gasped and turned to see Ada gazing at her with admiration. The female guard gave her a small smile.

"Thank you for your kind words," she stuttered, still unsure of what should be the right reply to a comment like that.

"I'm serious, you're very pretty. I wonder if any of the other women in Xing are pretty too."

Lan Fan's cheeks burned light pink. This was the first time someone had complimented her on her looks. Neither Ling nor her grandfather said anything about it.

"There are many Xingese women more beautiful than me," she said while shaking her head. Not only that, I lost an arm."The young woman rolled back the left sleeve of her blouse and showed her automail arm to Ada. Lan Fan expected her to be frightened, but instead the water alchemist's eyes gleamed with delight

"That's so cool! A few farmers in this village got their automail in Camiburn and I'm always fascinated over how those things work."

The mention of that city caught Lan Fan off guard. "Wait, Camiburn? That city has automail mechanics?"

"Yes. I've never been to the shops, but the farmers have told me the mechanics are friendly people. When we get there, you can visit one to have your arm checked."

"I would like that," the young woman said with a satisfied smile.

The two ladies fell silent to gaze up at the moon. Lan Fan admitted she was glad someone liked her automail arm. It might take her a while to get used to her new arm, but she would learn to appreciate it.

"I do hope you'll make it to Xing safely during the sea voyage," Ada said, finally speaking. "The waters can get rough sometimes."

The guard would have been worried again about the sea trip, but for some reason seeing Ada so at ease calmed her down.

"We'll be fine, I'm sure."


End file.
